Culture

Between beer gardens and picnics: Climate Culture Care at the Ashmolean

When I returned to Oxford this term, just as England teased us with the sixth heat-wave of the year, I found myself at a loose end. With the deadline for two vacation essays still far in the distance, the sun lit up the sign for Soma Surovi Jannat’s Ashmolean Now exhibition, Climate Culture Care.

“What is a good life?”: The Standard of Living in review 

“What is a good life?” This axiological question, asked earnestly in the opening lines of James Graham’s The Standard of Living – playing at Theatre Royal Haymarket until December 12 – is often overlooked by the fractured and hyper-specialised discipline of economics.

Diverse voices: ‘Inshallah, Madonna, Inshallah’ by Miljenko Jergović 

‘When he created Earth and these lands upon it, when he divided people into...

Art as protest on university campuses

CW: rape. This week, Cornell University has made headlines as prosecutors reopened an investigation into...

‘Windows’ review: ‘Poignant and relevant’

Izzy Smith finds this interwar play still resonates powerfully today

Political cartoons must now be held to a new standard in the age of Trump

Viveka Herzum challenges the role political cartoons play in our current climate

Five minutes with Philippa Lawford, director of Tightrope Productions

We chat to Philippa Lawford, the director of Tightrope Productions, about her experiences with drama at Oxford, her involvement in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and her inspirations in the world of theatre.

Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet review – “Energetic and farcical, if lacking discipline”

Ethan Croft reviews Paul Foot’s new venture, ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet, as the Merton alumnus returns to Oxford on tour

‘Blade Runner 2049’ pleases fans of the cult classic

Matthew Nicholson compares the 'Blade Runner' sequel to the classic original

A unique and uncomfortable experience

Lil Peep is our greatest living icon, writes Joe Bavs

Basquiat brought to life at the Barbican

Excessive detail hinders an energetic and ground-breaking Basquiat exhibition, writes Eleanor Birdsall-Smith

Opera: Passion, power and politics

The new exhibition at the V&A entertains yet bemuses Julia Alsop

Don’t just break the fourth wall, go and watch a film outside

Jack Allsopp reflects on a summer vac spent basking in the joys of outdoor cinema

Ignore the naysayers, opera is for everyone

Many have dismissed opera as unaffordable and elitist – they are missing out, writes Jack Pepper

‘Caesar’ at the Keble O’Reilly – preview

Miranda K. Gleaves previews 'Caesar', a hot new reinterpretation of a classic Shakespeare play from Cosmic Arts

Feel good indie for the oncoming winter

Superfood’s outlook on the alternative scene is refreshingly optimistic, says Charlie Hackforth

How a small office in Bloomsbury keeps the tradition of criticism alive

The LRB’s Alice Spawls talks to Altair Brandon-Salmon about her journey from intern to editor at the world’s most prestigious literary journal

Fringe Round-up: Six of the Best Stand-Up Shows

Izzy Smith rounds-up the best stand-up shows from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017

La Bohème review – ‘Shabby and chic but not lacking in charm’

Amid the fakery of Shoreditch, Jack Hunter finds a rare thing: an age-old opera that celebrates the joy of being young

Ones to watch: Science fiction’s signature moves

Donnie Darko, Signs and Terminator are classics of the genre

Rewind: ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ is still relevant 15 years on

Esther Borsi reflects on the romantic comedy classic on its anniversary

Society from a Martian perspective

Matthew Palmer makes the case for the significance of science fiction in today’s society

Sad and Loud, Ryan Adams Live

Thomas Athey reports on an eventful show at The Sage

Paul Foot – eccentric comedy from a Merton mathematician

Miranda K. Gleaves talks to ex-Mertonian Paul Foot, ahead of his new tour, which comes to Oxford on September 30th

Follow us